


Dingle-Sugden Parents Evening

by NeVeR_LeT_Go_Of_ThE_MaDnEsS



Category: Emmerdale
Genre: Family Feels, Fluff, Light Angst, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-05-02
Updated: 2018-05-02
Packaged: 2019-05-01 03:57:05
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 4,011
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14512038
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/NeVeR_LeT_Go_Of_ThE_MaDnEsS/pseuds/NeVeR_LeT_Go_Of_ThE_MaDnEsS
Summary: When Aaron can't make it home from work in time to take Liv to her school's Parents Evening, Robert quickly steps in to volunteer to take her. During this, they learn some new things, let their hair down and ultimatly Robert comes to a great conclusion. (With a bit of angst thrown it)





	Dingle-Sugden Parents Evening

**Author's Note:**

> I don't know where the came from but I couldn't get this idea out of my head so here it is. (Even after just coming out of a Geography exam. Don't know how I had the strength) 
> 
> The story took a different turn to what I originally planned but I think it worked out okay, slight bit more angst filled, but we all need a bit of angst in our lives.
> 
> This is my first go at writing so constructive critism is greatly appreciated. I decided not to think too much before posting in case I chickened out. 
> 
> Enjoy!

It was a typical morning in the Dingle-Sugden household filled with grunts, the patter of feet and early morning yawns indicating that no one was fully awake yet. As Robert took his time carefully manoeuvring his way down the stairs with Seb gently cradled in his arms, minding the gap between each one not wanting a repeat of what happened the last tripped on them, he spied his husband and Liv sitting around the kitchen table. 

Liv sat there in her usual morning mood, a grumpy expression on her face, highlighting her displeasure of being dragged out of bed at such time and the looming threat of school that hung over her head.

To her immediate left was his beautiful husband, dressed in an oversized jumper, that Robert suspected was his, scoffing down a bowl of cereal in that totally unattractive manner that he somehow managed to make look the picture of elegance. His hair was still in his untamed and curly stage Robert wished he could see all day every day but his protests were always in vain and alas he had to suffer through watching his husband gel out his hair until those unruly curls were gone.

Walking over to his little family, he paused to ruffle Liv's hair, earning small noise of protest from her, and press a soft kiss to Aaron's forehead, hearing him grunt, before he marched to the kitchen counter to sort out Seb's breakfast before his patience ran out and he decided to scream the entire place down. After a few minytes of flittering around, he eventually managed to prepare Seb's milk and cool it to the right temperature for him to drink. 

Taking a seat, Robert let out out a heaving sigh thankful for the albeit short period of time he had to relax before the madness ensured. In one morning, he had to make sure Liv actually gets to school and on time, drop Seb off with Rebecca so that himself and his husband could make it to work. Sounds simple on paper but with Liv's stroppy and challenging demeanour, Seb's reluctance to leave Robert's arms and Aaron's alluring and seductive character it was hard to even make it out the door most of the time. They somehow manage to do it every, well almost every, morning however. 

Liv was the first one to speak this morning, something that was practically unheard of as it was almost impossible to drag a conversation out of her this early, 

"So, there's this parents evening thing at my school tonight and uh- I think some of my teachers want to see you guys there but don't worry, I'll tell them that you can't be there because of work and that'll be the end of it right. No need to worry." 

Once Liv finished her spiel Robert met Aaron's eyes which matched the surprise that Robert had no doubt reflected in his before they turned to Liv. 

"Why didn't you tell us before? Surely you didn't just find that out this morning Liv." Aaron questioned as his day planned out in his mind and he wondered whether he would be home in time to head over to the school. He had a full day of scrapping and books to fill, that he couldn't jump dump on Adam, and he didn't think he would be able to make it. 

"I dunno, it just never came up in conversation and I knew you were working anyway. Didn't want to get you all stressed out did I?" Was Liv's answer to Aaron's question. 

Seeing the conflict in his husband's eyes, Robert decided to speak up knowing that any work he needed to do could either wait or be completed at home, 

"Well hang on, I can take you. I'm pretty much caught up on work so I don't have much to do." 

In response to this, Liv let out a huff whilst leaning back in her chair and crossing her arms, something that was so Aaron like that it was uncanny, making her displeasure known. 

"No way am I letting you in a room with those idiots. Next thing I know it'll have turned into a 'let's bitch about Liv' fest. It's not even important anyway. The teachers have no idea what they're talking about. They pretend to care until they meet the parents and then they turn around and tell them what awful students we are. It's pointless."

Liv was left slightly out of breath after her tirade and slumped back in her seat in defeat after edging forward during her speech. Not allowing herself to get into anymore of a tizzy, Aaron breaks into the conversation. 

"No Robert's right he can take you in. And before you start arguing, he's going whether you like it or not. This is important Liv, we want to make sure that everything is okay at school and it makes us look bad if we don't show face." 

Whilst Aaron spoke, he looked up to Robert giving a slight nod to make sure he was sure that it was okay. Giving a nod back, Robert then stood up and took large strides across the room in an attempt to get Seb ready to head out. Grabbing his coat and tiny shoes, he finished dressing his little boy before snatching his own up. 

Remaining in the kitchen, Liv began to protest but was quickly shut down by her brother until she eventually gave up and went in a huff, not at all happy with the days arrangement but knowing when to give up. 

When Robert quickly made his way back to the kitchen, he allowed Aaron to take Seb in order to make his quick goodbyes, making sure to hug him extra tight knowing that he wasn't going to be home for a while, and Robert turned to Liv to remind her that she was going to miss the bus if she didn't get a move on. And, no. He was not going to drive her in again if she did.

Taking Seb back from Aaron, Robert sought out his baby carrier and gently placed him in, making sure he was comfortable, pulling silly faces that resulted in a symphony of giggles to escape his tiny body. Grabbing a hold of Seb's pristine white blanket, Robert tucked him in to protect him from the slightly bitter temperatures outside that came with the beginning of Spring and stood tall, and if there was a slight crack in his knees as he did so well then no one had to know. 

Backtracking into the kitchen to give his husband a quick peck on the lips, and giving his best 'behave' look to Liv, Robert was soon out the door and strolling through the small village making his way towards his sister's house. 

Once Seb was all content in his mother's arms and Robert had given her his usual 'call me if anything happens', he said his goodbyes and was almost immediately shoved out of the door with promises that Seb would be complelty fine and nothing would happen to him. From there he swiftly made his way home, dreaming of the couch that had his name all over it. 

~

Robert's day ended up being pretty easy, with most of his work completed within the first few hours. This gave him plenty of time to think about tonight what it might entail. He barely remembered his own parents evening, probably because in his later years he had no one willing to attend he reckoned but, Robert refused to let himself continue down that line of thought. He feared if he did, it might leave him in tears again and as much as he had changed over the years, Robert refused to let himself cry in the middle of an empty house all alone. He was above that at least.

He had a feeling he knew what most of the teachers were itching to speak about. Something about her aggressive nature, lack of attendance and a lack of homework being returned to class. Robert promised himself however, that he would stand by Liv and he knew he would end up finding ways around these issues as honeslty, he would do anything for his sister. Even if it meant doing a slight bit of intimidating. But only enough to get the point across. He stands by the fact that he is a changed man. Well, Mostly. Nothing would ever change the way he felt about Aaron though, he supposed. 

When the time came for Liv to return home, Robert had pulled himself together and freshened up to make sure that everyone knew he meant business. He had to look responsible, well put together and reliable. He would not let anyone look down on him. Not tonight. 

Liv trudged through the door, as if she had the weight of the world on her shoulders, he greeted her quietly and reminded her to get ready as quick as she could so they could leave. With great reluctance, she complied and made her way upstairs and after a short while came back down wearing a simple black pair of skinny jeans and a plain green jumper. 

They swiftly left the house and got into Robert's car, allowing themselves to bask in the warmth that came from the heating he'd turned up. Leaving the small village of Emmerdale Robert attempted to make small talk about school and how her day went with no great success. It was clear to see that Liv had no intentions of engaging with him but instead, it appeared that she had something on her mind, if the chewing of her lip had anything to do with it. 

To ease her worries of what Robert could only assume was the night ahead he switched on the radio, which was already connected to his phone, and all of a sudden Taylor Swift was blaring through the speakers. It took a second for him to register what was happening before he reached over with all intentions of switching the bloody thing back off but it was too late. Like a shark smelling blood in the water, Liv striked forward and smacked his hand away whilst she burst out laughing so hard that floods of tears streamed down her face. 

"NO WAY! I nev-never pegged you as a-a Taylor Swift fan Rob. Wait until I tell A-Aaron." Liv stuttered, struggling to get her sentence out through her fits of laughter. 

A tinge of red rose to Robert's cheeks, not that he would admit to it, which deepened further as the lyrics of the song reached his ears

_'It's a love story, baby just say yes'_

In a last ditch attempt to save the last of his pride, Robert tried to come up with an excuse as to why on earth he had Taylor Swift albums downloaded on his phone. Although as soon as the words left his mouth, he knew there was no way of getting out of it.

"Uh- erm I-I thought that you might like it." Came his pitiful response that Liv clearly saw right through.

"Right, of course. Makes perfect sense." 

Giving up on trying to justify himself, Robert simply let go of the subject and started singing along to the music, another thing that he would furiously deny if accused. 

Liv just stared at him in what could only be described as pure horror as she saw her brother in a new, terrifying light. I mean Robert Sugden- _The_ Robert Sugden (or well Dingle-Sugden now she supposed) singing along to Taylor Swift. Liv couldn't decide whether it was like living in a dream or a nightmare. Most likely the latter if his screechy singing voice had anything to do with it. 

This set the tone for the rest of the short journey and by the time they reached the school, Robert had gone through about half of the songs on the album whilst Liv sat in the passenger seat trying to engrain this moment into her mind to make sure she never forgot it. It had been one of the most memorable car journeys that she'd ever had the (dis)pleasure of partaking in. 

Jumping out of the car once they reached the school, and after Robert had miraculously found a parking spot not too far from the entrance, they made their way inside looking for the office to announce their arrival. Once they found their way to the main area, Robert introduced himself to the short, blonde woman behind the desk and hoping to be pointed in the right direction. 

"Hi, Robert Dingle-Sugden. I'm here for Olivia Flaherty." 

The woman behind the desk immediately looked up at the sudden sound of his voice and on the sly, traced her eyes over his figure before she met his eyes.

"Oh-oh um yes of course. If you could just make your way to the seats just to your left there, then someone will be with you just shortly." With one last glance over him, she quickly ducked her head and continued on with what she was doing before. 

Sharing a glance with Liv, they both moved towards the seats they had been directed to. Liv with a look of disgust and Robert feeling strangely violated by the woman's gaze. It wasn't a feeling he was used to experiencing but then again, usually he only noticed his husband giving him a very similar look, but one with more heat and lust behind it. 

It seemed as if they had just sat down when a tall man sauntered down the corridor in a striped shirt and light grey dress trousers, clearly moving with intent. 

"Robert Sugden." Came the man's call as he stared at both him and Liv. Robert could only assume he one of Liv's teachers that were so desperate to get a hold of himself and his husband and he found himself wishing that the stranger had at least made a slight bit more effort into his appearance. I mean come on, who even wears striped shirts anymore? And he calls himself a teacher, Robert scoffs internally. 

Standing up from the seat, Robert sticks his hand out as an introduction and makes such to grip the man's hand extra tight when he complies to show him he refuses to be messed around. 

"Dingle-Sugden but yes, that me. Liv's brother." Robert felt great pride in correcting the man. A small smile tugging at his lips as he was once again reminded that he got to return home every night to his wonderful husband. 

"Very well Mr.Dingle-Sugden, a pleasure to meet you. I'm Mr.Black, Liv's current Maths teacher. If you would like to follow me then we can have a quick chat about her school year and progress." 

In response, Robert nodded his head and gestured for Mr.Black to lead the way. Following behind him, Robert placed a hand on Liv's shoulder as a form of silent support to let her know that whatever happens he was on her side. 

They reached the classroom fairly quickly and took their respective seats, waiting for the man to speak. 

"As you are aware, it has clearly been a challenging year for Olivia at school and her attendance is much lower then it should be. I'm also rather concerned about her behavioural problems as she appear-" 

"Excuse me? Behavioural problems? She's a teenager! Yeah I know she can be moody and quick to snap, not to mention the sarcasm and talking back, but to claim she has behavioural problems? Who do you think you are?" Robert was quick to interject into the teachers comments, not standing to listen to the mans opinions of his sister. 

"I'm sorry Mr.Sugden but-" 

"Mr.Dingle-Sugden" 

"Right. Sorry, Mr.Dingle-Sugden but if you'd let me continue then I'm sure we can work to find a solution to this problem. As I was saying, Liv is quick to become defensive and her school work shows she is not doing as well in class as she should be. All these problems have a strong indication that there may be problems at home or that she is not in the correct, stable home she needs."

As Mr.Black continued to speak, Robert could feel his temper rising with every stupid word that tumbled from his lips. 

"Have you tried getting in contact with Liv's parents? I think what would benefit Liv right now would be living with parents who can provide her with a more stable environment. I highly doubt the place she is currently residing in is suitable for a young girl her age." 

At this Robert couldn't hold back his anger anymore, especially when at the corner of his eye he saw Liv's face go pale and her eyes fill with tears showing his words also had an effect on her. Robert maintained sitting in his seat but leaned as forward as he could get before he dropped his voice down low and spat out his words, dripped with poision, towards the teacher.

"Are you suggesting that my husband and I are not capable of providing a stable home for our sister? Because let me tell you this. If you ever dare to claim anything as stupid as what you just did I can assure you with everything that I have, that you will regret it. You have no idea what goes on behind closed doors and you never will. You will never understand what we have been through as a family so I suggest if you want to keep your precious little job, that can I just add you definitely do not deserve, then I recommend you drop whatever stupid ideas are going around inside that head of yours before it gets you in trouble." With his heart racing and him fingers clenched, Robert stands abruptly before adding, 

"Now thank you for your time Mr.Black but I must inform you that it is about time we were leaving now. Oh and Liv will not be entering your classroom after today so I wish you the best for the year. Goodbye." 

Robert glanced at Liv and nodded towards the door and within no time, they were both storming through the corridor together, heading towards the exit leaving behind a shell-shocked Mr.Black. As they left the building, Robert pulled Liv closer to himself and let her burrow into his side looking for comfort. Together they made their way to the car and silently got in.

No words were exchanged as Robert turned on the engine and began driving back towards Emmerdale. He couldn't even muster the desire to switch the radio back on to interject the silence; too filled with rage to even think about listening to Taylor Swift.

Robert's thoughts focused on the words exchanged in the classroom and he felt his hands clench on the steering wheel. He couldn't believe what the man had been spewing and to bring up Liv's parents was just unbelievable. He clearly had no idea. 

The drive back into the village remained deathly silent. Robert didn't dare to open his mouth in the fear of what might come out. What? He wasn't sure but he didn't trust himself. 

As they pulled up to the Mill, Liv quickly jumped out of the car and ran into the house, complelty ignoring her surroundings in her desperation to get to her safe place. Whilst Robert remained in the car for a few more seconds, pressing his forhead to the steering wheel wishing that tonight had never happened. 

After taking a breather, Robert calmly got out of the car and made his may inside. The first sight he was met with was his husband standing in the middle of the room looking at the ceiling with a mixture of confusion and concern on his face. Without saying anything, Robert strided over to Aaron and tightly wrapped his arms around him, squeezing him against himself so tight that it began to hurt after a while. 

"Wha-what Robert? What's wrong? Did something happen?" Came Aarons shocked questions. He was used to Robert coming home and showering him with love and attention but this time was much different. He could feel it. When Robert didn't reply he tried again. 

"Come on Rob, you're scaring me here? What happened baby? Is Liv okay?" 

Deciding to put Aaron out of his misery, Robert replied sounding defeated and drained after basking in the comfort of his husband, 

"It's okay Aaron, Liv's fine. We just had a bad run in with a teacher, well the first one, which is why we're back so early. You don't need to worry." 

Robert's response caused Aaron to tense slightly. A teacher caused this? What on Earth happened? 

"Of course I'm going to worry Rob, I haven't seen you like this in a long time. Liv either. What has they said to upset her? If they've done something I'm going to kill them. I swear." Aaron's thoughts began to escape him and his anxiety heightened. Has someone done something to hurt his little sister? 

Robert could tell instantly where his husbands thoughts were heading and not wanting him to head down that road, he jumped in to reassure him, 

"No-no Aaron nothing like that I swear. He just started mouthing off about Liv and her home situation. Even brought up her parents. But it's fine, I put him in his place and he won't be bothering us again. I promise."

Aaron just stared up at him in shock, hearing that some stranger felt like he knew more about his sister than he did. He then reluctantly pulled away from Robert and turned towards the stairs, needing to go and comfort his sister. He could hear Robert following him as he sprinted up the stairs, not even caring if he slipped, in the desperation to get to Liv and stopped by the door to her room. 

Knocking slightly on the off-white coloured door, Aaron opened it to find Liv sitting cross-legged on her bed with her chin down low and what looked to be tear tracks staining her cheeks. With his heart breaking in two Aaron moved forward, with Robert in tow, and gently sat on the edge of her bed right next to her; Robert following suit. He reached out and grabbed her, pulling her into his chest as he laid his chin on her head, whispering about how much he loved her and how she wasn't going anywhere. 

After some time, Liv eventually pulled away from Aaron and stared at the men in front of her; Her brothers. Her brothers who gave up so much for her and loved her unconditionally. Wiping her tears, Liv sat up straight and declared with her head held high, 

"Who cares what some poncey old man thinks of us, eh? We know the truth. And I know there's nowhere else I'd rather be."

Robert and Aaron were stunned for a few seconds after her admission but soon snapped out of it and Aaron pulled Liv in for another hug, only this time Robert leaned in too and joined them, forming a group hug. 

Once they had all recovered they sat on Liv's purple, girlish bed with matching grins stretching across their faces knowing they were a family and there was nothing anyone could do to change that.

Liv once again was the first one to break the silence. Twice in one day Robert thought, it must be a miracle. 

"Hey Aaron, can I show you a video? It seems like Robert here has a secret that he's been keeping from you. Who knew the great Robert Dingle-Sugden could sing eh?" 

And with a sly smirk, that she most definitely got from him, Liv opened her phone and angled it towards Aaron who sat their with a puzzled expression. 

It was in that moment Robert knew that this is where he belonged. With his little, slightly dysfunctional family and he wouldn't change it for the world.

**Author's Note:**

> My tumblr is ultimatetrash-af if you want to scream robron at me


End file.
